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Argument FOR being a Sensor

Intuitives, do not be dismayed. The purpose of this thread is to be my own personal counteraction of the “onslaught” that Intuitives lead against the Sensors (specifically, on the internet). Because of this, people aware of typology and this phenomenon itself may consciously or unconsciously mistype themselves as Ns because of the perceived negative connotation and inferiority, and may even reject the possibility and eliminate Sensory types before beginning to type themselves. Yes, they are the majority; the reason why you fellow Ns feel so alienated from the world, why people don’t understand you etc, but I need to make an unbiased case on the good attributes of a Sensor.

They live in the moment

Yes, let’s start with the most generic definition of a Sensor (Se breed), in comparison to an Intuitive: they have utter focus on what is happening right now, absorbing the environments current natural progression “as it is” (by this, I mean the most objective view of the present a human can perceive, without subjective sensory bias). Unfortunately for many Ns (especially those without Se in their top four function stack), life is primarily action based. This is where Se thrives: action in the moment. To the perception of humans, time is a linear progression, in which “now” is the only existence- Se grasps this better than any other function, thus are great at taking action when needed.

There are more of them

So they may not get a golden sticker for being a special little snowflake a la the Intuitives, but in the long run, this is a fantastically advantageous situation to be in. As social beings, humans rely on each other, and this cannot be denied; no matter how individualistic and self-sufficient you think you are. And as life-forms, we naturally have the instinct to thrive and continue the species progress. So difference is perceived as a weakness in the line, and unable to continue the consistency. With these two variables, logically, the easiest route through life is to simply be like the majority. This allows Sensors to be the most accepted and have an easy time navigating through other people via thinking in similar ways. Being misunderstood is one of the major issues for Intuitives, which is not so much of a problem for most Sensors.

The world is “built” for them

Leading off the last point, because there are more Sensors, societies systems are primarily adapted for Sensors, in particular SJs. They have the easiest time conforming and navigating through these systems with the greatest success. This is a pitfall for some Intuitives, who may struggle to follow and even comply with these expectations, which may lead to a more difficult life overall. But navigating these systems allows many Sensors to get what they want, faster. Perhaps the Sensor satisfaction rate for life – although I can provide no studies whatsoever – is higher, with a possibility of Intuitives being more likely than average to get depression.

Abstract isn't better than concrete

Reading many times on forums about these two dispositions that distinguish Sensors and Intuitives, I get the impression that people believe thinking concretely rather than abstractly is a negative trait and naturally inferior. This is false. There is only a difference in thought processes, no system of measurement that would lend itself to one being superior over another. One has the ability to produce new thoughts that will eventually enhance what is current, the other; the ability to maintain consistency and make these new thoughts a reality that is usable for the entire race. Concrete thought enables the user to convert a thought to the tangible, almost instantaneously. Perhaps at the risk of not thinking anything as avant-garde as the Intuitive, but it is a sacrifice and not inferiority. This also works vice-versa for Intuitives.

Intelligence is not an N trait

Finally, another well-known belief among typology fans is that for someone to be exceptionally intelligent, they have to be an Intuitive. Perhaps not to such a degree that it is regarded as absolute- still the distinction is often, at least partially, believed to be true. Now there will be correlations, and evidence for the case of Ns being more intelligent could stem from many of history’s greatest thinkers and visionaries being typed as such. They may be right, maybe wrong, but this is not my point. My point is that this type of intelligence associated with such people (and Ns) is perceived as more intelligent. For instance, science (the majority most likely to be Intuitors) is continuously thought of as a profession that only intelligent humans indulge in, and rightly so. One who participates in Art, sport and other typically "S" environments, and stands out, are not so often perceived as "intelligent". But, personally, I thoroughly believe in the theory of multiple intelligences, thus brilliance in these areas too, may qualify for the label of "intelligent".

Yes, let’s start with the most generic definition of a Sensor (Se breed), in comparison to an Intuitive: they have utter focus on what is happening right now, absorbing the environments current natural progression “as it is” (by this, I mean the most objective view of the present a human can perceive, without subjective sensory bias). Unfortunately for many Ns (especially those without Se in their top four function stack), life is primarily action based. This is where Se thrives: action in the moment. To the perception of humans, time is a linear progression, in which “now” is the only existence- Se grasps this better than any other function, thus are great at taking action when needed.

Anyway, advantage of being an SJ: you have good attention tod etail, which is what most employees demand for most jobs, so you can have a stable life with decent income. And then when you want fun you have savings for meals/holidays/alcohol/drugs/strip clubs. Then back to work on Monday.

@Infinite Bubble - this whole post was awesome, you make many fantastic points, and I share your belief in several different kinds of intelligence. I'm an Intuitive, but my Se is extremely well-developed and I think this has dramatically contributed to my satisfaction in life.

I never forget to eat or drink water, I will never have IBS from refraining from going to the bathroom when I have to go, I have always managed to get myself physically or financially out of relatively close scrapes, and have never had a problem "getting into my body" to orgasm like some women complain of.

what I don't get is why the hell people brag about how little they use sensing functions. Like it's something to be proud of in some "look! I'm the most intuitive person to ever live, I'm destined for greatness!" manner. The world is a fantastic place, filled with interesting smells, delicious flavors and views that could inspire a mind to do great things and yet there are people who want to tune that out? Or for the other side of sensing things, the recall of how it feels to have the hands of someone you want and want badly running their hands down your curves, or being able to recall how your favorite pasta sauce should taste and things of that sort... things you never want to forget.

Being an incomplete person is nothing to brag about

“The phrase 'Someone ought to do something' was not, by itself, a helpful one. People who used it never added the rider 'and that someone is me'.” - Terry Pratchett

Cool post, but I don't necessarily engage in a lot of action. I'm in agreement with the Typelogic descriptions here. "..unlike most ESPs they do not present an impression of constant activity. On the contrary, they lie dormant, saving their energy until a project or an adventure worthy of their time comes along." Or socionics: behaviour is unpredictable and characterized by unexpected transitions from cold contemplation to active action. I'm just as lazy as my cat. But also as alert. Not even sure how I do it.. Sometimes I surprise myself.

You'll find more ISPs doing a lot of one thing (and probably be good at it), but not a lot of activity. "I like what I like" - and screw the rest.

I really wish different terminology would be developed for the functions. Socionics converted feelers to ethicals and thinkers to logicals, why not intuits and sensors? Surely there is a better method of classification.